The author admires a 10-point buck that made the mistake of chasing a doe in heat. Late-season snow gives hunters a big advantage. Photo by Kenny Darwin.

I knew the first time I laid eyes on the massive Michigan buck that he was a special whitetail. What I didn't realize was just how long I'd have to labor to finally call the trophy mine.

I spotted him in a Jackson County hay field in August and his mossy looking velvet rack looked world class. During bow season, he disappeared and I did not see him during the regular gun season. Come muzzleloader season, I got a glimpse of the monster deer chasing a doe in a snowstorm. The following morning I stalked my stand with confidence, moving slowly crosswind, looking for movement of brown fur against the white snow. Huge fresh tracks were everywhere, in the snow-covered corn field, through the hardwoods and into the thicket where I took stand.

I heard a buck grunt to the west and as I slowly turned my head to investigate, a small doe pranced directly toward me. Behind the hot doe was one of the largest bucks I've ever laid eyes on. I recognized the rack, flipped the safety off my Ultimate .50-caliber muzzleloader and placed the cross hairs on the big buck's chest. He stopped, curled his upper lip and turned his massive, polished rack in the morning light as the flash of the rifle filled the air with blackpowder gray smoke.

It was indeed a proud moment when I reached the fallen giant. I guess we all have one special hunt in our lives and this was mine. I held the large 10-point rack as I sat in the freshly fallen white blanket of snow, marveled at his beauty and thanked God for Michigan's late deer season.

This is a good example of the many benefits of participating in Michigan's late-season deer hunting. You do not need an army of other hunters in the woods moving deer to make December deer hunting worthwhile. It's an ideal time to harvest venison, highlighted by perfect weather to chill and season the tasty meat. Deer are often confined close to food sources and smart old bucks begin to venture from hiding spots. Michigan hunters have a long-standing tradition of harvesting does during December. It is also an ideal time to fill a gun or bow tag, and in many counties, you may use a centerfire rifle during the late antlerless-only season. Here are your late hunting seasons and options:

• Archery resumes statewide Dec. 1 until Jan. 1, 2009.
• Muzzleloader season opens in the Upper Peninsula Dec. 5-14.
• Muzzleloader season opens in the southern Lower Peninsula Dec. 5-21.
• Muzzleloader season is open 10 days in the northern Lower Peninsula Dec. 12-21.
• Antlerless-only firearms season runs Dec. 22 through Jan. 1, 2009, in designated counties of regions 2 and 3.

Only private property is open to hunting with centerfire rifles, muzzleloaders and shotguns during this period and centerfire rifles may not be used in Zone 3. Hunters must carry unfilled antlerless licenses for those counties while hunting.

Harvesting a big buck in Michigan is not an easy task, especially following the rifle season. But after the orange army vacates the woods and deer resume normal activities, you can up your odds by concentrating on specific locations. Here's why.

Hunters harvested nearly 484,000 deer during the 2007 season -- 24 percent took antlerless deer and 35 percent harvested a buck -- according to DNR statistics. But where can you find deer come late season?

If I had my pick of counties, I'd concentrate efforts in southern lower Michigan's Zone 3. This is where the bucks with the largest racks are killed. For example, some of the highest scoring bucks come from Lenawee, Allegan and Washtenaw counties. Other productive buck counties include Jackson, Cass, Hillsdale, Livingston, Montcalm, Huron, Sanilac, Barry and Calhoun.